# Grievances & Appeals **Published**: 2026-07-22 **Source**: https://gps.press/grievances-appeals/ **Author**: GPS Staff --- [Skip to content](#content) GPS Toolkit # Grievances & Appeals A prison grievance is how you put a problem on the official record and demand it be fixed — unsafe conditions, denied medical care, retaliation, and more. It's also the step you almost always have to take *before* a court will hear a lawsuit. This guide walks through Georgia's process, the deadlines that matter, and how to do it right. **Why this comes first.** Under federal law — the Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA) — a court usually will **not** hear a lawsuit about prison conditions unless you first finished the prison's grievance process, **including the appeal**. Skipping it, or missing a deadline, can get a case thrown out. So even if court may be where you're headed, the grievance is where you start — and every receipt you keep is proof you did it. ## The process has two steps This is Georgia's Statewide Grievance Procedure (GDC SOP 227.02). Deadlines are in **calendar days** — weekends and holidays count (but if the last day is a weekend or holiday, it rolls to the next business day). 1 ### Original Grievance File a written grievance about **one** issue on the Offender Grievance Form (Attachment 1). Sign it and hand it to **any counselor** — get the receipt from the bottom of the form and keep it. (Don't mail it; mailed grievances usually aren't processed.) Deadline: within 10 calendar days of when the problem happened (or when you learned of it)2 ### Central Office Appeal If the Warden denies your grievance (or the 40-day response time passes with no answer), you appeal to the Commissioner's office. Fill out and sign the **Central Office Appeal Form (Attachment 5)** and give it to your counselor — get that receipt too. Finishing this step is what completes the process. Deadline: within 7 calendar days of the Warden's response date10calendar days to file the original grievance40days the Warden has to respond (+10 possible)7calendar days to appeal after the Warden's response120days the Commissioner has to answer the appeal **Important — how to actually file the appeal.** The rules mention filing the appeal on the JPay kiosk or tablet, but in practice that tablet appeal channel often does not work. The reliable path is the **paper Attachment 5 form, handed to your counselor in person**. If a counselor is slow to come, that 7-day clock is still running — so write down every date, time, and name each time you ask, in case you need to show you tried. ## How to write a strong grievance One issue. Specific. Dated. Say exactly what you want fixed. You get the grievance space plus one extra page (one side only). Here's a structure that works — copy it and fill in the [BRACKETS]: Grievance text — adapt to your situation: ``` On [DATE], at approximately [TIME], at [FACILITY / HOUSING UNIT], the following happened: [DESCRIBE EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED — what was done or denied, and by whom if you know their name or title]. This affects me personally because [EXPLAIN THE HARM — injury, illness, safety risk, denied care, lost property, etc.]. This violates [NAME THE POLICY, RULE, OR RIGHT IF YOU KNOW IT — e.g. GDC policy on medical care, safety, or your constitutional rights]. I am requesting the following relief: [SAY EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT DONE — e.g. medical evaluation and treatment, a housing change for safety, replacement of property, a policy corrected]. Witnesses (if any): [NAMES / GDC NUMBERS]. ``` Copy this template ## Keep your proof — this is what protects you later - Keep the **receipt** from the bottom of the grievance form (and the appeal form). The date-stamped receipt is your evidence you filed on time. - Write down the **grievance/reference number**, the date you filed, and the date of the Warden's response. - Keep a **copy of what you wrote**, if you can. If a family member is helping, mail or read them a copy so there's a record outside the prison. - Note the **deadline to appeal** the moment you get the Warden's response — 7 days goes fast. - If staff won't take your form or a counselor won't come, **log every attempt** (date, time, name, what was said). ## What you can and can't grieve #### You CAN grieve - Unsafe conditions or threats to your safety - Denied or inadequate medical / mental-health care - Use of force by staff - Retaliation or harassment - Lost or damaged property - Any condition, policy, or action that personally affects you #### You generally CAN'T grieve here - Parole, sentences, or court decisions - Disciplinary actions (those have a separate appeal, SOP 209.01) - Transfers between facilities - Housing/classification (unless it's a safety threat) - Medical co-pay charges (separate appeal) ## If you're helping a loved one You can't file a grievance for someone else — the incarcerated person has to file it inside. But you can make a real difference: help them understand the two steps and the deadlines, keep copies of everything they send you (that outside record is valuable), track the appeal window with them, and if it turns into a pattern of harm, [tell GPS](https://gps.press/submit-a-report/). **A word on retaliation.** Filing a grievance is your right, and GDC policy forbids punishing anyone for it — retaliation is itself something you can grieve. But we know retaliation happens. If it does, document it and file on it, and protect yourself: GPS never publishes a living incarcerated person's identifying details.This page is **legal information, not legal advice** — it explains Georgia's grievance process and gives you a template to adapt. For a specific legal situation, reach a lawyer or [contact GPS](https://gps.press/submit-a-report/) and we'll help you find the right next step. Close [Report a Problem](https://support.gps.press/?system=gps-website)